Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Misalignment between objective and perceived heat risks

Objective assessments indicate that extreme heat is increasing health risks; however, many of the most exposed populations do not perceive extreme heat as risky. This misperception may undermine public awareness of the need for effective cooling strategies, leaving a dangerous blind spot in adaptation and protection.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Manware, M. et al. GeoHealth 6, e2022GH000695 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Howe, P. D., Marlon, J. R., Wang, X. & Leiserowitz, A. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116, 6743–6748 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Keul, A. G. et al. Weather Clim. Soc. 10, 501–520 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Rauf, S. et al. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 24, 10630–10639 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Guzman-Colon, B. et al. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 22, 1197 (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Jones, L. & d’Errico, M. World Dev. 124, 104632 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Balžekienė, A., Telešienė, A. & Morkevičius, V. Sustainability 14, 3716 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Taylor, N. A. S. Compr. Physiol. 4, 325–365 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Wickham, K. A., Wallace, P. J. & Cheung, S. S. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 121, 353–367 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Vecellio, D. J., Kong, Q., Kenney, W. L. & Huber, M. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 120, e2305427120 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cannings, L., Hutton, C. W., Sorichetta, A. & Nilsen, K. Front. Psychol. 15, 1401480 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Li, Z. & Konisky, D. M. Rev. Policy Res. 40, 119–152 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Siegrist, M. & Sütterlin, B. Risk Anal. 34, 1482–1494 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Klausen, S. H. et al. Philos. Psychol. 35, 253–278 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Trumbo, C. et al. Risk Anal. 34, 1013–1024 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 42225707, 42522713 and 42507632).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiaoyong Liao or Yonghua Li.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yang, Y., Liu, G., Li, Y. et al. Misalignment between objective and perceived heat risks. Nat. Clim. Chang. 15, 1261–1263 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02505-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02505-9

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Anthropocene

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Anthropocene newsletter — what matters in anthropocene research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Anthropocene